


The Inventor and the Beast

by The_notorious_subhuman_freakshow



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Ame- beast, Beauty and the Beast AU, F/F, F/M, Jas- gaston, Peri- beauty
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-16
Updated: 2016-10-16
Packaged: 2018-08-22 15:58:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8291713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_notorious_subhuman_freakshow/pseuds/The_notorious_subhuman_freakshow
Summary: Through her own actions, Amethyst has become a beast and has to get someone else to fall in love with her in ten years' time. All hope seems to be lost until Peridot walks into her life. Can she make this work?





	

The first memory Amethyst ever had was being alone. Rocky terrain and darkness all around; nippy breeze grazing her face and the taste of salt lingering on her tongue from tears shed earlier. Even back then she felt a longing for another being but back then, there was none. Just her and that lowly mountain pass. However, she wouldn't be alone for long. When Amethyst opened her eyes next, she came face-to-face with the woman who'd become her mother.

And this was no ordinary woman either. She was Rose Quartz, the rebel and general who stood up against tyranny of the former Diamond Empire. Rose Quartz, the leader who inspired a nation to battle against their oppressors. Rose Quartz, the general who, defeated the Diamonds one decisive victory after another until they had been taken down for good. Rose Quartz, the benevolent queen who treated her people with kindness; seeing the beauty in every living creature.

To Amethyst, she was the first person to make her feel like she wasn't alone. It was at that moment Rose took Amethyst in as her daughter. The infant had a rocky welcome to Rose’s court.

Rose’s consort, Pearl, didn't approve too well of a child found in the middle of nowhere of being the next heir to the throne and others felt the same way. Knowing Pearl, though, it didn't take long for Rose to convince her otherwise. Rose had that effect on her that no one else did and, besides, Amethyst was already starting to grow on her. So, it was decided: Amethyst would be heir to the throne.  
Now, it had been tradition that all the important figures of the land with have powers. Amethyst was no different. So, from the high priestess and her to-be advisor, Garnet bestowed upon Amethyst the power of transformation. 

It had not been easy for her to control these powers for a while but, Rose, Pearl, and Garnet were always there to help her when needed; she was alone no longer. 

As the years rolled by, Amethyst thrived in the love her caretakers gave her but she always felt like an outsider. She wasn't royal stock. She didn't know where she came from. All she knew was she had been abandoned; a burden to those surrounding her. So, she was thrown away like useless garbage. But, no, Rose was different. She'd, at least, always be there for her. 

Then Amethyst started to notice Rose coming and going from the palace they lived in. There were no rules saying they couldn't do so but she kept going out more and more often. 

And although Garnet didn't approve of the venture too well, she decided to follow Rose one fateful day. The Queen took great pleasure of exploring all the cities around her. Amethyst could see the happiness radiating off her mother’s face when going through all the busy, colorful streets of their capital. However, to Amethyst’s surprise Rose’s grin only doubled when seeing a figure she had never seen before. 

He was poor, no doubt, but his relaxed and sunny disposition showed that it didn't really matter to him. And, like Rose, he couldn't hide a grin when he saw her and they embraced. Amethyst stopped dead in her tracks at the scene.

Rose hadn't been sneaking off to enjoy the common scene. She'd been sneaking off to a secret lover. Everything soured in Amethyst's mind and she couldn't do anything as Rose went into his hut to do who knows what. 

Instead of being with her daughter or wife, Rose was running off to another person. A darkness started to spurn within Amethyst. Is this how a mother supposed to treat her daughter? By leaving her to the dust while feasting on her own follies? 

No, not at all. Amethyst watched as a the wailing, scarlet red sun set and slowly turned the earth and sky a charred black. A soft light flickered in the hut, indicating the lovers would be there for quite some time. Holding back her anger, Amethyst shifted into a hawk and followed the burning sun back to her home with tears stinging her eyes. 

When Amethyst arrived back at the palace Pearl tried to scold her for going  
out so long but couldn't when she saw Amethyst's tear-soaked cheeks. She asked her what was wrong and Amethyst started to bitterly reveal Rose’s infidelity. 

With each word Amethyst said, Pearl’s face just sunk more and more with the realization of her love’s betrayal. It was when Amethyst stopped talking that Pearl fled to her chamber leaving Amethyst completely alone and wept. 

It seemed that Pearl and Amethyst were experiencing their worst nightmares. Meanwhile, Rose returned to the palace feeling a warm, dream-like haze. It was only when she arrived back to her chamber that the feeling left when she saw her wife in tears and knowing well why. 

From then on, Rose never snuck out of the palace again to see the peasant. Rose tried to fix her broken vows of love but nothing could repair the rift she created. 

Pearl reluctantly forgave her but everything was different between the two; a tension surrounded the two. Amethyst, on the other hand, would not forget this as easily. 

She rejected any form of apology Rose tried to give; it was too late. If it was love that made her mother betray her then why should she ever give it back? 

So, she avoided Rose at every turn and held in those feelings of pain and anger, letting it fester in the darkest recesses of her mind.

Life was like that until a new development occurred. The queen had started to gain a baby-bump. However, everyone was skeptical until it was confirmed to be a baby by the royal doctor, Opal. 

This changed everything. Whatever rift Pearl and Rose had was dissolved. Pearl was loving and supporting throughout the entire pregnancy hiding all hurt she had felt earlier. She, at least, had to be there for her wife and future child. 

Amethyst took this reveal in a much different light. Her mother was having another man’s child. This child would be the product of Rose’s betrayal. It'd be like an award for infidelity. 

What if this child replaced Amethyst? What if they decide to take Amethyst back where they found her because they no longer needed her with an actual heir already there? Amethyst already felt like a burden to all those around her and the possibility of this child only heightened it. As each day passed, Amethyst grew more more bitter because of these thoughts.

Some months passed, and the court made a decision. Rose would finish her pregnancy in an older castle out in the country with Pearl, Amethyst, Opal, and a select few servants. Garnet would take over as Consul while she was there.

It was in that castle that Opal noticed something was off. Rose was getting weaker and weaker with each day; more than usual for a pregnancy. Rose was dying. 

When Opal told the news to Amethyst and Pearl, they were devastated. Peal could barely hold back her eyes. Amethyst’s grudge melted away and from then on tried helping her mother the best she could. Perhaps if she tried enough, she could stay alive.

The night Rose went into labor, was the night she was at her weakest. Rose struggled to even keep her eyes open as she pushed each painful push. Amethyst and Pearl were holding her hands the entire time, each feeling life draining out of her with every push. 

After hours of this, the baby was finally born and when Opal was done cleaning him, Rose feebly demanded to see her son. Placing him in the queen’s arms, Amethyst and Pearl had to hold her up while also holding in their despair as Rose breathlessly whispered a few choice things to her newborn.

Struggling to speak clearly, in between large, hollow breaths, she told Amethyst and Pearl, “H-his name is Steven. He now h-has my power.”

The power to heal. It was at that moment that Rose could not hold Steven anymore as she slumped on her bed and Amethyst caught Steven before he could fall.

She went on, “T-take care of him. Please… Amethyst, y-you're still my heir. This doesn't change anything."

But Amethyst didn't care about that at this moment. Her mother was struggling to even speak in her final moments and Amethyst couldn't do anything to reverse the queen’s fate. 

“I love you so much, Amethyst...Never forget that. Pearl, I'm so sorry for this, for everything. You know… You know I still love you. Even if… Even if I love Greg too. Oh, Greg… Amethyst… Pearl… If only I learned to love like you.”

It was at this moment when all strength of life seeped out of Rose Quartz and fell into oblivion. At this moment, Pearl collapsed in tears at Rose’s side, pleading for her to live with all the memories they shared together, hoping to, somehow, resurrect the dead queen. Nothing, though, could reverse what happened.

Amethyst watched all this happen while holding Steven. She tried to remain composed but failed as bitter tears fled from her eyes. Her mother was dead and she was holding the very reason that caused it.

If Steven was never born, if Rose had never sneaked off with the peasant- Greg, then maybe, just maybe, could they have been a happy family. But it was too late to dream of that. 

So, she just wept along with Pearl and Steven even though it didn't stop her pain.

The next morning, as dawn rippled across the earth, Pearl made her leave to the capital with Rose’s body and the servants to deliver the terrible news. 

She did this leaving Amethyst alone with only Steven, the baby her mother died for. With each passing second the child seemed to mock her suffering. All that loss and pain and turmoil that Rose had to go through and for what? A baby that she didn't need. She had a daughter that needed her. Why hasn't she stayed? It was right there and then that Amethyst decided to give the infant to his father. 

The hut was etched in her memory so she knew the day and after a few days of traveling they arrived. The day was bleak and the sky had just rung the last bits of rain from its sponge like clouds. Amethyst gently rapped the brittle wooden door trying to compose herself for facing her mother’s lover. 

The door flung open. The man inside rejoiced for a second, “Rose! You're…” 

He saw that it was Amethyst standing there and not his long lost love. “...ugh, who are you?” He questioned. 

Amethyst then put baby Steven in the man’s arms and blurted, “This is Rose’s kid, Steven. He’s yours. Take care of him."

She turned to leave but the peasant was so confused that he questioned her again, “You know Rose. So why isn't she the one giving me our baby? Why isn't she here? Why are you here instead of her? Why… Why did she leave?” 

This made Amethyst stop in her tracks. What made him think he could just question her like that? He didn't know Rose. Not like Amethyst did. Did he even know how much pain and trauma he caused?

Enough with keeping it all in. All feelings of the betrayal and loss were coming back full circle and nothing on earth could stop what she did next.

And with a flash a light she turned around. What the peasant saw wasn't the stranger who showed up at his door but Rose.

“The reason Rose isn't with you, the reason my mother is not here, is because she’s dead!” 

The peasant stood there wide-eyed with fear in his eyes.

Amethyst pointed at him and shouted. “She had your baby and now she’s gone! YOU KILLED HER!” 

And without thinking, Amethyst transformed into the most hideous beast she could imagine, sends tears down the peasant’s eyes before taking off.

She was so filled with rage and hurt that she needed to let it out. But how? She spotted a village. Perfect. And in her beast form her terrorized the inhabitants within: destroying property, viciously tearing their things apart, and striking a chord of fear into those villagers’ hearts as she rampaged their homes. 

Amethyst knew this was wrong but she didn't care anymore. It felt good to let it all out. It felt good to make others suffer as much as she was.

She did the same to other villages on her way back to the old castle. Tearing village by village with her rage. She never hurt anyone physically, nor did she completely destroy their homes but that didn't matter. She both inside and out became a monster. 

When she wasn't attacking her dark thoughts would come back again. Her mother’s betrayal. Her mother's death. Being alone… So ransacking towns was clearly the best option, right?

When she got back to the old castle she was surprised to see a couple in the mist asking for shelter.

Amethyst didn't see their need for shelter but she saw their love. Love which drove Rose from her family. Love which ultimately killed her. Love which Rose bestowed onto Amethyst, snatching it in her death. Love is what led to her downfall?

So how could it be a good thing now? 

Amethyst then transformed back into her beast form like a second skin to scare off the couple. However, they weren't scared as others had been. Instead, with a flash of light they transformed into her teacher, Garnet. 

Amethyst forgot about Ruby and Sapphire but it was too late. Garnet was more than pissed off. 

She growled, “I didn't want to believe this but the rumors are true. You've been terrorizing the countryside! And for what? Revenge? On innocent people?” 

Then, she took off her shades and look at Amethyst directly in her eyes with all three of hers as she casted her spell, “For your crimes, Amethyst, you’ll remain a beast for ten years’ time but you'll only age half of that. If you learn to love another and earn their love too, the spell will remain no longer. If not, you’ll remain as you are. A monster.” 

It was now that Amethyst realized she couldn't go back to her original form no matter how hard she tried. 

And with that Garnet left leaving behind what else. It a rose. This Rose would bloom until that fateful date.

Amethyst then wept in despair. What had she done? How would she fix herself? It was at that moment that Amethyst realized that she was truly alone as she had been on that mountain pass oh so long ago. 

Amethyst thought bitterly to herself, "after all I've done. After everything how can anyone come to love me. She was right. I am a monster."

Amethyst lost hope of ever becoming normal again as the years went by. Losing hope of normalcy. Losing hope of redemption. Losing hope for love or even finding any companionship. She believed this would be how her story would end. All alone in an abandoned castle. But this is only the beginning of what comes next.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Amedot Anniversary!  
> I've had this AU stuck in my head for so long and now I'm finally sharing it. This idea, to me, fits so well with Peridot and Amethyst. It doesn't even matter who's "beauty" and who's "beast". So, tomorrow I will hopefully post a Peri-beast one that will be updated alongside this. I'll try to post as much as I can but I still have school and other responsibilities. Thank you for reading and please comment.


End file.
